Recent Entries

When my children were young, we lived at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where a quick drive would bring us to the Appalachian Trail and some of the best hiking in the country. Our bucolic surroundings made us determined to convey the importance of respecting and enjoying the outdoors and nurturing a lifestyle of physical activity for our children. We regularly visited Skyline Drive to hike to weekend

Around this time of the year we all succumb to the same goal, preparing our “beach body.” What this often means in our heads is rigorous hours at the gym and forfeiting our favorite treats. I recently realized this comparison doesn’t seem right. The beach represents a place we go to have fun, spend endless hours in the sun and create memories with the people we love. So why should

In the 21st century, technology is childhood’s constant companion, acting as everything from a big-screen babysitter so a toddler’s mom can take a shower, to an integral aspect of teens’ social and academic life. A typical day for school-age kids likely includes early-morning texting from the bus stop, video games and social media after school, television viewing before bed, listening to music on their smart phones and more texting after lights out. Kids

Let’s face it, in today’s world, it’s hard to carve out time to spend together in the kitchen. We’re lucky if we eat meals together as a family, let alone, try and make the meal together. Yes, including kids in cooking and preparing meals can be daunting: it means extra time and definitely extra clean-up. But, it might be worth the extra effort, as there are benefits that everyone (kids